Karamles, welcomes home first Christian family, after Isis: "Like letting go of a heavy weight".

World Maronite Youth Days (WMYD) are currently underway (13-23 July) aimed at immersing young foreign-born Maronites in an Antiochian-Syriac cultural environment to deepen their faith.

The authorities issued an arrest warrant for Hossein Ferydoun after he failed to secure bail. He is accused in connection with a scandal of inflated public managers wages. According to a spokesman for the judiciary, “other people have been investigated, some of whom are in jail”.

A UNESCO resolution sparked outraged because it described the site as “Palestinian”. This however is not an acknowledgment of property but rather of location. The place is holy to all the three monotheistic faiths. According the Genesis, Ishmael and Isaac, forefathers of Arabs and Jews, buried their father there together.

The testimony of the great nonviolent dissident is the highest contribution to humanity in the last (sterile) 500 years of Chinese history. A priest from North China offers an elegy in memory of Liu (and his wife).

"Let us ask ourselves if our heart is open to accept faithfully the seed of the Word of God. Let us ask ourselves if the rocks of idleness are still numerous and big. Let us identify and call by name the brambles of vices. Let us find the courage to clean properly the ground, bringing our rocks and brambles to the Lord in the confession and in prayer.”

The compound will remain closed until tomorrow when an Israeli security cabinet meeting will be held. Two Israeli Druze policemen die. Netanyahu promises no changes to the status quo, but the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif remains at the centre of tensions and violence.

The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) plans to offer the tenders in two or three months with minimum exploration expenditures of US$ 16 million to US$ 90 million. Western and Russian oil giants are interested. This sheds the fears of many European and non-European companies.

The repression campaign that began after the coup d'état of 15 July 2016 continues. More than 50,000 people have been arrested, 120,000 detained, and 170,000 investigated. The pilot who saved the president on the night of the coup lost his job. The government launched official celebration centred on nationalism and the cult of Erdoğan personality.

The three Palestinian assailants opened fire at 7 am, injuring the three Israeli policemen.  The attackers, whose identities are still unknown, were shot dead.. 

The vote could fuel fresh sectarian clashes. For some time, the Kurds have aspired to an independent state, but several of the region’s states (Syria, Iraq and, above all, Turkey) opposed the plan. Kurds have been used in regional wars, and now intend to decide their destiny. The US and Israel play a role. For Barzani, Baghdad is not a partner but could be a "good neighbour".

Francis’ message to the International Symposium on Catechesis in Buenos Aires, on the topic "Blessed are those who believe." "Being a catechist is a vocation of service in the Church, a gift of the Lord that changes lives."

UN Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs speaks of "scandal" caused "entirely by man". The belligerents and those who support them too, "direct, supply, fight and perpetrate" violence. Contagious cases have risen to 320,000, at least 1740 casualties. 250 million dollars needed to deal with the emergency, so far only 47 collected.

Yemen’s deputy prime minister made the announcement. His government will do everything possible to free the Salesian clergyman. India’s External Affairs Ministry offers its assistance to obtain the release.

The Education Ministry recently made the announcement. Physical education will respect the Sharia. For conservatives, it is immodest and goes against women’s “nature”. For now, there are no facilities and instructors. To overcome the reticence of opponents, Saudi authorities justify physical education on health grounds.

The Chaldean Patriarch expresses appreciation for the efforts of the Iraqi army and Peshmerga that led to victory in the former stronghold of the Caliphate. He outlines the "long and tiring" road that leads to lasting security. Still isolated episodes of violence in the city. Iraqi Prime: Living together with our "Christian brothers and sisters" is the "natural response" to Daesh. No confirmation of al- Baghdadi’s death.